ICDP: EP Vote On Data Protection a Missed Opportunity

The Industry Coalition for Data Protection (ICDP), of which ISFE is a member, responded with regret to the Plenary vote in the European Parliament on the General Data Protection Regulation. According to IDCP, important improvements are still need in the continuing reform efforts by the European institutions:

Strasbourg, 12 March 2014 – The Industry Coalition for Data Protection (ICDP), a group of 16 associations representing thousands of European and international companies who are building, delivering and advancing the digital experience, expressed regret at the outcome of the European Parliament’s Plenary vote today on the proposed General Data Protection Regulation. Many of the provisions in the proposal agreed today – which is unchanged from the text as amended in committee – reflect an overly prescriptive, “freeze-frame” approach that would be unworkable in practice, even for data protection authorities, and would threaten digital innovation and investment while failing to provide meaningful rights or protections to European citizens.

“Strong data protection and job creation and growth for European citizens and businesses should go hand in hand,” said Chris Sherwood, head of public policy for Allegro Group, speaking on behalf of ICDP. “A legal framework focused more on outcomes than on the means of getting there would better align those two objectives. The proposal approved by the European Parliament lacks the balanced and future- proof rules needed to protect people's personal data while preserving the ability of European businesses to innovate and thrive.”

“The stakes are high, and this proposal must be improved as legislative scrutiny on this dossier continues,” said Sherwood. “We stand ready to work with all three EU institutions to ensure the result is a modern set of data protection rules that are appropriate for the 21st century.”